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The EU long-term resident card requires five years of continuous legal residence. The ten-year resident card is granted on status grounds (such as marriage or family ties) rather than a fixed residence period.
France has two main settled-status cards. The EU long-term resident card (resident longue duree-UE) requires at least five years of continuous, legal residence, plus stable income, B1 French and a civic exam; it also lets you reside in other EU member states for stays over three months. EU Blue Card holders can reach it faster — after two years in France, provided they completed at least three years in other EU states under qualifying permits. The separate ten-year resident card (carte de resident) is status-based, granted to spouses of French nationals, family-reunification beneficiaries, refugees and other specific categories. Confirm the current conditions on service-public.gouv.fr before applying.
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Guidance only, not legal advice. ACME is an independent consultancy, not affiliated with any government. Rules change, confirm details with official sources.